Boy oh boy, 2015 is here, how’d it creep up on us so fast? With 2014 behind us and 2015 still new and fresh as a cuddly puppy, the urge is within most of us to think of our new year resolutions. While us humans typically think of ways we can improve our lives, chase our dreams and advance our careers, we sometimes forget about including some of our very closest pals: our dogs! In this post we’ve collected some of the best habits and tips we’ve heard our clients adopting this time of year as their doggie resolutions. Some are simple, some are fun, but all will help you build an even stronger relationship with your dog in 2015 (and well beyond).
- Measure their food EVERY meal. This is an easy one, but it’s also something not a lot of owners do consistently. I recently heard a statistic that estimated around 50% of dogs in U.S. homes to be overweight for their age and breed. If your dog has packed on a few pounds and you’re serious about helping them shed a little weight and be more light on their feet, consider measuring our their food EVERY meal. This will allow you to ensure they’re getting a consistent amount of food in their diet. You can search online for appropriate amounts of food to give your dog based on their age, weight and breed. Simply keeping a measuring cup in your bag of dog food will help you remember to always serve the same amount to your dog (until they grow and need more nourishment to support their active lives). Remember, growing dogs need more food to help them develop, so please check with your vet when establishing a consistent diet for your doggie.
- Be Adventurous. No more excuses; if there’s something you’ve always wanted to do with your dog (play frisbee, run on the beach, go camping), this is the year to do it. Just as you likely do with other events in your life, put the activity on your calendar, make time for it and DO IT. Your dog will love the time spent playing with you and you just might learn that your dog has an adventurous side in them after all.
- Update ID Tags. This will just take you a few minutes. Look over your pets’ tags to make sure they list the right address and phone number. This is a good chance to be proactive; you’ll be thankful you took the time to do so should your pet ever run too far ahead or take the long way home.
- Get Back into Good Habits. Remember when you first got your dog? You’d groom them every night, play with them often and show them lots of personal attention. Get back to some of that this year if it has slipped away because of busy schedules, new pets, growing families or anything else. Your dogs love bonding with you, so give them some time to do so daily.
Enjoy the new year everyone. From all of us at Dog Gone Amazing, please bring in 2015 safely and with lots of love in your hearts.